Bloody Knuckles and Healing Hands
by a little girl blue
Summary: Yamanaka Inoue was never quite sure if it was normal to remember a different life. Ana Sackeyfio was pretty sure you don't dream after death. Somewhere in between those beliefs, a reality is forged and a new timeline begins. SI, AU.
1. Birthday Wishes

Chapter 1

I locked eyes with her light blue ones, determined to win. Hers remained wide open, refusing to back down. I needed a trump card. Ever so slowly, I stuck out my tongue and touched my nose. My little sister lit up with laughter, eyes scrunching shut. I laughed in victory, ruffling her thin, but long mane of blonde hair.

"Kaa-chan," I called. "Ino-chan lost a battle with me. You have to give her back now."

"Inoue," Mama said, glaring at me over her shoulder as she put the finishing touches on her bun and shook out her blue and white yukata. "For the last time: Ino-chan is ours. We will _not _be giving her back to the hospital."

I pouted prettily, until Daddy came in the room, his long blond ponytail braided neatly for the occasion. He picked me up and threw me lightly into the air. I squealed, blushing prettily as he showered my face with kisses. Shifting me onto one arm, he drew Mama into free arm, pecking her on the cheek.

"Is Inoue-chan giving you trouble Tomoyo?"

"No she's not," Mama said with a chuckle, flicking me on my nose. "Just being a bit of brat. She still wants to take Ino back to the hospital."

"It'll be fine. It's just a phase she's going through. It's not like she doesn't adore her."

Mama sighed, and moved to pick up Ino from her crib. "I suppose you're right." She turned her attention to me. "Are you ready to go to Itachi-kun's birthday party?"

I clapped my hands. "Yes Kaa-chan!"

This was the first time Itachi had invited me to his home. I was hoping we'd get to compare our baby siblings and maybe play a prank on his multitude of older cousins. Before left out the house, Mama warned me not get my pretty grey yukata messed up. I promised I wouldn't and we were soon on our way to the Uchiha compounds.

It's amazing how easy it is for a six year old to disappear in a party of adults. An hour into the party, and I'd yet to see hide or tail of Itachi. The adults were hobnobbing, showing off their children and talking about politics and medicine and skirmishes with Kumogakure and Kirigakure. I was thoroughly bored. There weren't a lot of kids in our age group in the first place, and Hana was at her house since her mama and Itachi's father had an argument last month and had yet to make up with one another.

I eyed the attending clan members with a vague interest as I tried to find my missing friend. Uncle Shikaku and Uncle Chouza were both here, as was Lord Hiashi and his brother Lord Hizashi. They were talking with the Lord Hokage and Lord Uchiha. Lady Mikoto was gossiping with my mother and Aunt Momoko and Aunt Yoshino, who were all showing off their new children. Lady Biwako was gently speaking with the Lady Hyuugas, who looked vaguely uncomfortable outside of their clan compounds. Hinata was gumming the sleeve of her mama's yukata, while Neji looked vaguely sleepy. Perhaps it was a little past his nap time?

Considering that Itachi was no where to be found, I walked around the side of the house. There he was, sitting quietly on the veranda, feet idly kicking up dust. I rolled my eyes. I had walked over here twice already, and he hadn't been there either time. I plopped down next to him, nudging his shoulder with mine.

"What's wrong birthday boy?"

"Chichi-ue wants for me to attend the Academy next spring," He rested his head on my shoulder. Despite being almost six months older than me, I was already taller than him. I had a feeling I would take after Daddy in terms of height. "I'm not sure if I would like to be a shinobi."

"Why not?"

"I don't want to make blood fall like it did in the war," he said.

I gently rested my head atop his. Although we were allegedly in peacetime now, neither of us really knew what that meant. Our fathers had spent plenty of time out on the borders during the war, and even now we had shinobi on the borders. As the heirs of two major clans, we couldn't afford ignorance. Certainly we knew more than one would commonly expect of children our age.

"What if you became an iryou-nin?" I asked. "Senju Tsunade-sama is the greatest iryou-nin in the world, and one of the best ninja in the world. I'm sure an Uchiha could be even better."

"Maybe," he allowed. "Tell me another 'before' story? You promised to give me another one on my birthday, and you already told Hana-san one for her birthday."

"Alright," I said. "What kind of story?"

He was quiet. He opened his mouth, and then seemed to change his mind. "Tell me how Ana-san met her husband."

I smiled gently, and allowed myself to sink into those bittersweet memories. Telling Itachi of my rebirth had probably been one of my better ideas. I couldn't imagine being reincarnated the way I was without him and Hana at my side. Then, in as soft a voice as I could manage, I told him how Ana and Mark became friends years before they got married, on a large academy for grown ups. Itachi was good enough to ignore the tears that wet the top of his head.

* * *

><p>[Edited: 113/2014]

Author's Notes: Hello readers. I've been taken with the recent trend of SI/OC reincarnation fictions out there. I decided to take a gander at it. I've been particularly influenced by "Dreaming of Sunshine" by Silver Queen, and "Deja vu no Jutsu" by Vixen Tail. Not sure where I'll be going with this, but it'll be more in vignettes than in proper chapters.

Chapters will be kept fairly short. 900 to 1500 words, as necessary to explain each event.


	2. The Three Amigos

Chapter 2

My foot planted firmly in his stomach, while Hana caught him soundly on his left eye. He hit the ground and slid back about three feet. She grinned ferociously, the Haimaru triplets letting out barking laughs from the sidelines. Itachi groaned and rubbed his belly. The makings of a truly magnificent shiner was beginning to form on his face. He touched it gingerly and hissed.

"That's the third time this year you've done that Hana-san," he said.

"Get good, scrub," she taunted him as she plopped down beside him. "Be faster and you won't get hit. Uchiha prodigy my ass."

"We're eight Hana-san," Itachi emphasized. "We can only get so fast within the realms of combat."

"Inoue-chan is still seven," she replied, jerking a thumb at me from where I stood slowly stretching. "And both of us are faster than you."

"Ana-san was twenty when she left her life," he argued. "Does that not count for anything?"

"Different body. Mentally, maybe, but physically she's still younger than us."

I giggled at their antics, only interrupting them to remind them to cool down as well. The flow of their conversation washed over me, centering me. I hadn't slept well that night, Ana's darker memories crawling from the depths of our pasts to torment me. I had spent half the night caught between waking and sleeping, unsure where Ana ended and Inoue began. Itachi and Hana grounded me. I am Inoue Yamanaka, heir apparent to Yamanaka line. Ana is woman that my soul had been, whose memory I had regained. I breathed out deeply as I slipped into a split, clutching at the grass as if that could help me connect with this life.

Once I finished stretching, I grabbed my backpack and pulled out my homework. As second years we got started on longer writing styles, and learning how to write reports. Today's home work was to detail an action report on the first Kumo/Konoha skirmish during the Second Shinobi War. While I knew the readings well enough, and had written up a rough draft already, I wondered if I shouldn't ask my grandfather, a veteran of both the Second and Third Wars, about it since he had participated in that skirmish. After a few minutes debate, I ended up putting my homework away and helping Itachi.

Although Itachi had far more raw intelligence than I did, he suffered from the same problem that Ana had as child. His brilliant mind allowed him to make impressive deductive leaps, but in his eagerness to express his ideas, he would either neglect to explain his thought process or make small mistakes on more simple parts. He was working on algebraic math problems and that tendency was popping up a little more. Considering that he was beginning to start his practical studies of medical techniques, I wanted to try to nip that habit in the bud.

"Hey, Inoue-chan?"

"Hmm? What's up?" I responded as I showed Itachi where he had written an addition sign rather than a subtraction sign, and had led to his incorrect answer.

"Could you sing us another song? It helps me concentrate, and I can't figure out what Harada-sensei means in this assignment."

"Okay. What language?"

"Spanish? I don't understand it as well as the English, so I think it can blend in more without distracting me."

"No problem," I murmured. I bit my lip going through the repertoire of the songs that Ana had learned as young boricua growing up in the Bronx. I picked one her favorites. "_El tiempo pasa y pasa y yo sigo asi..._".

The next hour passed pleasantly until both of them were done with their written homework. All of us had different homerooms this year, and their teachers assigned far more homework than mine did. I also had gotten into the habit of getting my less taxing homework done at school during lunch as well. Hana escorted us home, dropping off first Itachi, then me. Stopping in front of Daddy's flower shop, we finalized plans for our weekend sleepover. That's when I noticed Daddy approaching us from the direction of the Uchiha complex, a thoughtful frown on his face. He had been spending more time in meetings with Lord Fugaku, although I couldn't imagine what they had to talk about. Perhaps Daddy wanted to trade some MP members over to Intelligence and Lord Fugaku wanted some of our members in the MP?

Hana gave a small wave, telling me she's see me at school as I ran towards my father. He smiled at me, lifting me up in the air with strong arms.

"How was your day, Inoue-hime?"

"Good, Tou-chan. Hana-chan and I beat Itachi-kun in a fight!" At the mention of my friends, his eyes clouded over and cleared so quickly, I thought I might have imagined it. "Hana-chan gave him a black eye."

"Two on one? Even for a battle genius like Itachi-kun, isn't that a little unfair?"

"If he's gonna be a iryou-nin, he's gotta be as good as me and Hana-chan combined, so he can avoid us."

"Slave driver to your friend aren't you?" he said, tickling me mercilessly.

I shrieked in laughter, trying to get him to let me down so I could escape to the house, but he refused to let me down. I spotted my sister at the door, her little legs still slightly shaky on the whole walking thing. "Help me Ino-chan!"

My little sister, the traitor, just giggled at us.

* * *

><p>[Edited: 113/2014]

Author's Notes:The line in italics from the song "Te Extrano" by X-Treme.

So, chapter two is here! Thanks so much for the follows and faves. Special thanks to my first reviewer for this story, **The Rouge Beta**.

I think I've pretty much decided on how the chapters will go from here on out. Each one will more or less focus on specific snap shots from Inoue's life. I'll try to keep each snap shot around 900 to 1500 words for now, increasing word count as events become more complicated and AU, and as I include more snap shots in any given chapter. I'll to strive for an update every one to two weeks. But who knows? All this may be subject to change in the future.


	3. Bad Dreams

Chapter 3

"Nee-chan?" I heard from beneath blissful dreams of summers in central Georgia. With effort I dragged myself into the present. Ino, large blue eyes watery and lower lip trembling, stood at the edge of my bed, clutching the stuffed horse Daddy had bought her on her fourth birthday a couple weeks ago. Outside, lightning crashed and thunder boomed in the distance.

"What's wrong Ino?"

"I had a bad dream," she said, sniffing. "Kaa-chan and Tou-chan aren't here."

Mama had started working night shifts at the hospital, and Daddy had been staying later and later at the office; with me only a year and change from graduation, I was deemed old enough to watch Ino by myself. I wasn't sure if any of us saw fit to inform Ino. I lifted up the covers so that she could climb in bed and snuggle up to me.

"They have work," I told her. "Do you wanna talk about your dream?"

"It's hot. It feels like the air is... it's heavy. There's red and orange all over. It's so scary Nee-chan! What was it?"

I pulled her close, resting my chin on her head. Ino was still young enough that her big sister could have all the answers if Mama and Daddy didn't tell her. While I did know what she was talking about, I was surprised she had even those impressions of that night. Maybe my ability to remember Ana's life wasn't some kind of arbitrary fluke? I filed that thought away for a rainy date.

"You were sick when you were born. Kaa-chan had just brought you home that day, and Tou-chan was finally home from his time on the border."

"What day?"

I shushed her and continued talking, my voice low. "Tou-chan was holding you for the first time ever, and then the big alarms went off." Ino's eyes were opened wide as she twisted around to stare at me. Even as young as she was, she had been ingrained with an understanding that the village alarms meant danger for little girls. "We were being attacked."

"By who?"

"The Kyuubi no Yoko."

It was less than a month until my birthday, and I had been so excited to be almost five and to finally be a big sister. I felt the oppressive, suffocating nature of it's presence before the alarms sounded. The air, saturated with pure, furious, enraged chakra threatened to drown me as Mama scooped me up in her arms to get me out the house. It had towered above the walls, teeth flashing a brilliant white in the darkness, it form on orange blaze. Ino wailed in Daddy's arms.

"What is that?" she asked me in the present. I stroked her hair, as sulfur and the smell of burning bodies flooded my nose. If she noticed that my hand was shaking, she didn't say.

"The Kyuubi is a chakra elemental." I chuckled, relaxing marginally at her confused pout. "It is a minor kami. It hunts bad people, and cleans up after their nasty messes."

"So... why'd it hurt us?"

Mama carried me to the nearest safe house, frustratingly far from the clan compound. Over her shoulder I watched the carnage, frozen in fear. For a single, terrifying second, a great eye of the chakra beast looked directly at me. Rage, untamed and inhuman, was embedded in that deep gaze.

"It must have been angry. Somebody did something bad, and it came to do it's job."

"Did it get the bad person?"

In the distance, as Mama finally nears the safe house, a giant frog clashes with the Kyuubi. Its sword is met by the tails of the fox shaped elemental. The last thing I see before we enter safety are glowing chains entrapping it, holding it still. The howl it unleashes burns me down to the bone.

"I don't know. The Yondaime stopped it," I told her. Lord Minato, who came to visit Daddy and pick up Miss Kushina from our house. Lord Minato, who never minded playing with me, and helping me with calligraphy when he needed a break from his duties as a Hokage candidate. I kept the brushes he gave me for my fourth birthday in a case atop my bookshelf. "He didn't want the good people to get hurt."

"When did it happen Nee-chan?"

"October tenth," I told her.

"That's in a few days! Is that why I have bad dreams?"

"Maybe," I said. I kissed her forehead gently, and turned her around so that her back was pressed against my front. "Now it's time for you to go to sleep Ino."

Soon, my little sister was asleep, but it was a while before I was able to go back to sleep. When I finally did, I dreamt of fire and death. I slept fitfully, and morning was a long time coming. I decided that Ino could never know what her innocent questions had sparked in me. My precious baby sister wouldn't hear about it from me.

Instead, the next morning, a weekend, I went to Hana's house and cuddled against her for a while as the rain drizzled quietly. Around lunch time, Itachi came over, unsurprised to see me. In the relative quiet of the Hana's room, we spoke of that night, and what burned brightest in our memories. When I went home that evening, it turned Mama had the night off, and would be eating dinner with us, and when Ino still crawled in my bed later on that night, I was prepared for it.

It was still too long before the nightmares receded.

* * *

><p><em>Author's Note: Welcome to the third chapter of BKHH. Thanks so much for the continued interest and follows. Special thanks to <em>_**The Rouge Beta**__, the first reviewer of last chapter. I've pretty much got the first arc planned, and it should be finished in the next two chapters._

_I think I'm settling into my grove as far as this story is concerned. I've planned out the rest of this arc, and am slowly attempting to determine how I want the next one to go. Updates will be every ten days. I hope you enjoyed the chapter! Review if you feel so inclined. _


	4. Poor Behaviour

Chapter 4

Late summer in the Land of Fire is hot, humid, and wet. As I strolled through the West Market, trying to decide what to eat for lunch, I grimaced at my sweat drenched dress. I'd already changed once today, after some light training with Daddy, and it looked like I'd need to change again before I went to Hana's house to hang out. In the distance, thunder boomed gently. The various fast food vendors hawked their wares, the smells of pork, chicken and beef flooding my senses.

I'd gotten my first paycheck from cashiering at the flower shop Daddy ran, and this would be the first time I'd bought something with my own money. I'd made a little over five thousand yen for the nine or so hours I'd put in, and had given myself half of that for spending money, the rest in a savings account Mama had set up for me. After some mild internal debate, I settled on gyūdon, a dish of steamed rice topped with beef. Batting my eyes and giggling softly at the older preteen behind the counter got me a cupful of broth added to my bowl.

I picked a bench a dozen or so yards from the food stall and sat down to enjoy my meal. Both Hana and I had hit puberty at the beginning of the summer, and were enjoying the perks that her growing bosom and my rapidly increasing height had brought us with younger store clerks throughout town. We got mistaken for a couple of pretty civilian twelve year olds, rather than our actual ages of ten and nine respectively. It led to plenty of evenings spent giggling over our antics.

"E-excuse me, Nee-chan? Can you help me?"

I looked up to see a tiny, whiskered Lord Minato peering anxiously at me. He eyed what remained of my meal hungrily. Throat dry, I patted the bench next to me. He hopped up, feet swinging far above the ground, and I gave him the rest of my meal. As he ate, I gazed at him in wonder. So this was the Uzumaki kid. He was relatively clean, although I could see smudges of dirt on his hands and knees. He was also shorter than I thought to see a four and a half year old- he and Ino were almost the same age and I was sure that she was at least three inches taller than him.

"What's wrong sweetheart?" I asked, when he was done eating. He looked down at his feet, not looking me in the face. I gently lifted his chin up, so that he could see my face.

"I dunno how to go home," he whispered, olive skin blushing red. "An' no one else will show me."

"Do you know where you live?"

He nodded. "At the Shikibu Home."

"Why did you come here?" That orphanage was across the village from here, and there was no good reason for a four year old to be here by himself. Even Miss Tsume, as laissez-faire as she was, only let Kiba go to the end of the street by himself.

"Himiko-baa-chan took us to the zoo. But when we was headin' back, I fell, and when I got up, everyone was all gone!"

The petting zoo was only a ten minute walk from where we were. I could see how an elderly caretaker for children would think that was a good idea. There were mules, ponies, goats, and even older Nara deer there for young kids to bond with. I got off the bench, throwing the empty bowl away. I held out my hand to the little boy.

"C'mon. I'll take you home," I told him.

He grabbed my hand shyly and we made our way to his home. As we walked, going slowly as not to tire him out too much, he began to open up and talk about himself.

"My name's Uzumaki Naruto, Nee-chan. I'm four. How old are you Nee-chan?"

"I turn ten in November, Naruto-chan."

"My birthday's in October. That was the goodest thing I ever eated! What was that?"

"It's called gyūdon. I'm glad you liked it."

"Do you eat that all the time Nee-chan?"

"Nope. Only sometimes."

"If I was a grown-up, I'd eat it all that time."

"What do you usually eat at home?"

"Ojiya or sometimes miso soup, or even zaru soba."

We continued on that vein as I took him home. He was a sweet, cheerful boy, polite in his own rough manner. In some ways he reminded me of Ino, with his ever present grin and developing sense of humor. By the time we arrived at the orphanage, I was positive he and Ino would get along wonderfully, and had pushed the spectre of Lord Minato out of my mind.

A young woman, a dark skinned brunette, rushed out the door towards Naruto. There was just enough time for Naruto to squeak "Aya-nee-sama", when she grabbed him roughly by the arm, jerking him out of my grasp. She landed three hits on his back and bottom before I recovered enough to grasp her arm. She glared at me, futilely struggling to rip it out my grip.

"What is your problem?" I gritted out. It wasn't that I had anything against corporal punishment, but this? This was absurd and ridiculous. "Let him go."

"He is in trouble," she snapped. "He left the group to do who knows what, and only show's up now after we've spent well over an hour looking for him. He needs to be punished for that."

"He was left behind after he fell," I informed her. "He found me, and asked to bring him home. That isn't his fault. You don't need to do this to a child."

"Who are you to tell me what I will and will not do?"

"Kiji-san!" A sharp voice cracked. "What is the meaning of this?"

Naruto wrenched himself out of her hands to hide in the skirts of the severe looking elderly woman who glared at the young woman, Aya.

"She was punishing him for no good reason," I informed the matron. "Didn't let either of us explain or ask him what was going on or if he was okay. He asked me for help, and I broght him here as soon as I could."

"Thank you Yamanaka-san," the woman, who I assumed was Himiko. I was slightly surprised that she recognized me, considering my hair and skin were darker than most of my clansmen. "Aya-san will be taken care of."

Aya somehow winced and scowled simultaneously. I nodded firmly, and waved goodbye at Naruto. He smiled shyly at me, a mildly timid boy once again. That evening when Ino came home from pre-school, I made sure to hug her well.

I never wanted her to be as lonely as that little boy seemed to be.

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><p><em>Author's Note: Here's chapter four! We'll be wrapping up Arc 1, Childhood next chapter.<br>_

_I've been doing some research for this story, trying to decide how various cultures and cuisine would function, using cobbled together maps of the 'Naruto' world, knowledge of how geography and food availability influence such things, and a sprinkle of artistic license. _

_Konoha's cuisine is Japanese-ish in Nature, with coastal cities having more seafood dishes, and inland having more mammalian based dishes (beef, chicken, pork, venison in the rural areas). I say Japanese-ish, because the cultural taboos against meat eating due to Buddhist influence doesn't really exist here. I imagine in a blood-soaked world like this, ancestor veneration would be the most common religious feature.  
><em>

_Ojiya is essentially a rice stew, that can be vegetarian or not, that I imagine would be a good meal to stretch over a large amount of children. Zaku soba is a meal of cold soba noodles, which are made from buckwheat. Soba noodles are usually eaten chilled with a dipping sauce or a hot broth. _

_The name of Naruto's orphanage is from the name of Murasaki Shikibu, author of the Tale of Genji, widely acknowledged to be the first novel. Considering that Kishimoto drew the names of many of his characters from historical persons and places in Japanese history I feel comfortable continuing in that naming tradition. _

_Special thanks to **helenGet** the first reviewer of last chapter. Also special shout out to **The Rouge Beta**, whose lovely reviews always put a pleasant smile on my face. _

_My most sincere apologies for being so late. I had this chapter completely written up- and then I was busy all day, and didn't remember that I didn't post it until I went to work. Chapter 5 will be posted on 11/12/2014, in nine days. Once again, I apologize for the lateness. _


	5. Introspection

Chapter 5

I gazed at the desk in front of me, fingers trailing softly through my long locks. I'd worn my hair in a tight braid all day, and my curls were settling around my elbows in waves instead. On my desk I had placed a kunai, my identification papers, and my hitai-ate. Finals had been last week, the graduation ceremonies three days ago. In the morning I'd need to take my ID picture and turn in my papers.

Through my window, I could hear children playing. Ino had brought two new friends over, a little girl named Sakura, as well as the Hyuuga heiress, Miss Hinata. They'd met at pre-Academy last month, Ino probably collecting the two shyer girls under her wings as soon as she saw them. They were sweet, adorable youngsters, especially Sakura with her downy, bubblegum pink hair.

If I accepted this responsibility, I'd be apart of the task force keeping them safe. It was a daunting realization. I mean, I knew I was only a Genin for now, but gods willing, I wouldn't always be. Joining was a long bloodstained road. I didn't know if I was up to the test.

In theory, I could back down graciously. Despite being the Yamanaka heiress, my unwillingness to use the clan jutsu and proclivity towards our secondary specialties would allow a fairly seamless transition, with Ino to take the helm. I didn't have to accept these responsibilities. But... Hadn't I asked for this? Hana and I refused to let Itachi face school by himself. We'd begged until we were granted permission to attend school at the same time as him. I was the one that convinced Hana to do it. Could I really back down so easily?

Something in my gut told me that I could make a difference. That I had already begun making one. I chewed on my lip as I gazed at the forehead protector. Who could I help if I allowed myself to wear the mantle of my birthplace? What if I failed? Did I even want to? I wondered if Ana had known anything about this kind of dilemma. She'd been seriously considering joining the United States Marines Corps, but there was no social pressure on her to enlist, no driving cultural expectation of military service.

There were no childhood pledges to keep a friend safe.

What _could _she know about this life ?

I got up from my desk and padded over to the bookshelf where I kept my gifts from Lord Minato. Stretching on my tippy toes, I was able to grab the box of brushes along with a book, and photo album. I returned to my desk space with them. The brushes were from my fourth birthday, the album and book various gifts from throughout that following year. I hadn't really looked at them since his death was announced, although I knew Mama still dusted them off every few months.

Lord Minato had given his life in service to the village. He loved it with his whole heart and sacrificed everything for it. Would I be able to the same thing? I traced the lines of the oak box. Would I have to? Or was it enough for me to care for just me and mine? I glanced over to book next to it. I'd never really payed attention to it, but the name on the front surprised me.

The book had been written by Miss Kushina, a beginner's guide to seal making. I hadn't even realized she was working on something like this. When exactly did I receive it? I gently opened the front cover. A note from Miss Kushina was inscribed on the first page.

_Dear Inoue-chan, _

_I'd like for you to have this final draft of my first book. You were such a joy and blessing to be around as a little one. You're kaa-san was very nice to let me watch you while she went to the doctor with your baby sister. _

_When I was a little girl, back when I lived with my oji-san in Ushizogakure, my big cousin Kimiko helped me learn my seals. Since you seem to like seals so much, I thought I'd let you have this. We can work on it when I get off of bed rest. Then, when little Naruto is bigger, you can help him like my big cousin did. _

_Love_

_Kushina-obasan. _

A wet dot splashed the paper, and I quickly moved the book out the way, sniffing. When was the last time I'd even thought about Miss- _Aunt_ Kushina? Had she really thought this highly of me? Brushing the tears off of my face, I took a deep, calming breath. Closing my eyes and gripping my desk tightly, I kept breathing until I felt the tears recede.

Why was this so damn hard? It should be easy. Either I wanted to be a shinobi, or I didn't. In my head, I heard Itachi say "I don't wanna have blood on my hands like in the war". I stared down at my own. My palms were calloused and rough. Did I want someone else's blood on them? A particularly loud shriek of laughter drew my gaze to the window, and I saw the three little girls, face bright with laughter. Hinata's blue-black hair caught my eye. Abruptly the image of a much older girl with her features, blood streaming out of her mouth, flashed across my minds eye. I clenched my fists.

I wouldn't let their blood be on anyone else's hands, not if I could help it. Isn't that what I told Ino about Lord Minato? That he didn't want anyone else to by hurt by the Nine-Tailed Fox? I looked at my reflection. I fingered my hair again. I wasn't strong enough to protect myself, let alone those girls outside. Would my hair get in the way? I grabbed a pair of ponytail holders out of my desk and secured two low pigtails right below my chin. I picked up my kunai and made quick cuts right above where the band was. They fell to floor with a soft thump.

I shook my head, the new weight a tad unsettling. My hair floated around my face, stopping just above my chin, and I smiled. I liked the new look. It reminded me of... I wasn't sure who, exactly, but I certainly associated the style with strength. Feeling settled, I organized my desk to my liking and headed downstairs. Maybe Mama knew a hairdresser who could style my hair. I could drop off my registration papers on the way there.

* * *

><p>Author's Note: So! This is the end of Act One- Childhood. Five chapters, 5k+ words. Not to shabby, eh? So to clarify the update schedule, this fic will update about three times a month, once every ten days. For Arc Two, expect similar length chapters, but more detail about Inoue's life.<p>

I struggled with this chapter. Something that's always interested me about SI/OC fics is the decision to join, and how it's handled by the author. The decision to become a shinobi generally falls into three camps: "Ugh, child soldiers/this culture is disgusting", "There's no real reason not to become a shinobi", and "Man becoming a shinobi is the only way to possibly survive/change the plot". I wanted to explore slightly different motivations for becoming a shinobi. Also, I don't know about you all, but I really get hit with indecision right before I finalize any plans I make.

A couple of you noted that Shinto is large part of the Naruto world, and that modern Japan isn't terribly religious. That's true. What I meant by mentioning Buddhism, is that since there is no India or it's equivalent in this world of Naruto that I'm attempting to build, there will be little to no Buddhist influences.

Special thanks to **Kotama** for being the first reviewer, and to **The Rouge Beta **for reviewing every chapter so far. Much love, and have a good day!


	6. Seperations

Chapter 6

"Your hair is so curly," Hana told me, as she leaned down the scratch the various heads of the Haimaru triplets. "I didn't know hair could look like that."

"Perhaps Hana and I should cut our hair as well," Itachi murmured, fingering his own silky black locks thoughtfully. "We've always had long hair together, maybe we should have short hair together."

"Fuck, that would be super cool," Hana said. "Kaa-san's been bugging me to cut my hair forever. We could continue to have that be a thing, even if we don't get on the same team."

"Where is Harada-sensei anyway?" I asked, looking around at my peers who had graduated. "They said they'd be announcing the teams at one fifteen. It's already one twenty."

Hana shrugged. "I don't really care. What kind of team do you think you guys will be on? I'll probably be on scouting or tracking." She paused. "Probably both."

"Considering the training that I've undertaken the last two years with Yamamoto-sensei, I'll likely be on a strictly support team, or the support role on a heavy combat team due to my proficiency in other shinobi aspects." Itachi said. He gave the closest triplet to him a scratch.

"I'm not sure. I didn't really focus on any specialty like you two, or like any of my cousins in class. A team that utilizes seal work and poisoning, probably, since those are my two strongest areas. Information retrieval maybe? Assist and capture to a tracking team?"

"Oh, that sounds like fun," Hana said.

"I guess," I told her as Mr. Harada finally entered the room. "Now hush."

"Good afternoon comrades," he began quietly, as the chatter in the room died down. "From this day forward, you are all in service to our Lord Hokage. Together all of you will do your part to keep our home functioning and safe. No matter where you from here, your time and efforts will be invaluable to our infrastructure. I will begin announcing the people who may become your dearest teammates."

Hana was practically buzzing out of seat with excitement, while Itachi glowed with anticipation. Around us our classmates buzzed, nervously chatting among themselves. This was the moment we'd all been waiting for. Mr. Harada cleared his throat and everyone calmed down again.

"Team One will consist of Kuranosuke Tanaka, Osamu Kato, and Sato Yoshida. Your Jōnin sensei is Ozaki Shoin."

Yoshida, who sat in the row ahead of me, sighed deeply, while Tanaka and Kato, best friends since day one of the Academy, and were known troublemakers with great teamwork. I leaned forward to pat him on the shoulder in sympathy. He was going to have a hard time with those two.

"That's rough buddy," Hana whispered.

"Team Two will have Aburame Muta, Uchiha Naomi, and Yamanaka Inoue. Your Jōnin sensei is Morino Ibiki."

I looked around for my new teammates. Muta sat in the back, goggles perched over his eyes, and wore a high collar around his face. His dark grey hair was pulled into a low, short ponytail. He nodded cordially at me. Naomi was seated on the same row, across the room from me. Her hair was dark as her eyes, and braided down her back. I waved at her, and she smiled at me. The two of us had worked on a few projects before, and she was fun to be around.

I chewed my lip. Morino Ibiki... The name seemed familiar, but I couldn't quite place where I'd heard it. Was he someone that worked with Mama or Daddy? The name implied... intimidation? Perseverance? Loyalty? Why would I have those impressions? I tried to shake it off, but the lingering feelings stayed.

I came out my thoughts in time to hear Itachi's name being called, and hear the name of his sensei. Tekuno Kandon. I'd never heard of him. I hoped he'd be good to and for Itachi though. Itachi pointed out out his teammates for me. I was passingly familiar with Hyuuga Ko, who picked up little Miss Hinata from her playdate with Ino, but Matsuda Okyo was a complete unknown to me. She was pretty though. I hoped that he'd get along with them. He was a little... standoffish around others. I hoped it wouldn't hurt his teamwork with his behavior.

It was a little while before Hana's team was called. She was assigned to a man named Hayama Shirakuma, and her teammates were a boy name Idate and girl named Komachi. Idate shared a last name with my new sensei and I wondered if they were related at all. He looked more friendly than the intimidation that the Morino name seemed to leave me with. Komachi, on the other hand, was intense and quiet, seated in the far back of the room, dark blonde hair braided tightly against her scalp.

It occurred to me as I looked around the room that we had an unusual amount of girl graduating this year. I remembered some of my aunts discussing that male to female shinobi ratio was something like two to one, but I was pretty sure we girls outnumbered the boys by twice that this year. It was startling to say the least. I wondered why there was such an influx of kunoichi this year. I chewed on my lip. Maybe there just weren't a lot of boys interested?

"Team Two," a hard voice barked. I looked forward to see a tall man, a long scar across the right side of his face. He looked about twenty, muscles rippling through the black shirt and flack jacket he wore. I gulped. He looked like he could break me an my teammates in half without even trying. "Follow me."

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><p>Welcome to Arc Two, Chapter One! Oh my goodness y'all, this chapter <em>really <em>did not want to get written. I've spent two weeks working on this, and it was not trying to get written. So, here, y'all can see where canon has begun to change. I hope.

I'm pleased to say with the exception of Uchiha Naomi, all of the trio's teammates AND teachers are canon characters. Naomi is named after the only canon Uchiha woman to showcase a Mangekyou sharingan (to my knowledge). I figured _someone _would have named their baby after her.

I'm so excited about the support I've received for this story so far! Over 40 follows, almost 15 reviews, and almost 25 favorites. Special shout out to **Kotama** for being last chapter's first reviewer! You guys are the best.


	7. Interactions

Chapter 7

"I hate Morino-sensei," Naomi whined from Muta's back. "I hope the dark waters claim his soul when he leaves this life, and he forced to his rice one grain at a time for the rest of eternity."

"He didn't even do anything today Nao-chan," I reminded her. "You're the one who twisted your ankle chasing after the kid."

"Komugi-kun was a rather vicious brat, it's no surprise he outmaneuvered you," Muta allowed, a small smirk resting on his lips. Naomi scowled and cuffed him across the back of the head. "Hey! I could allow you to walk home, Naomi-san."

"He would be well within his rights to do so," I told her mildly. "Then what would you do?"

Naomi pouted. "It's still Sensei's fault for picking out that mission."

"I'll give you that," I told her. "This makes how many D ranks since we passed our test?"

"We have accomplished twenty D-rank missions in the last month. Since passing Morino-sensei's graduation test, we have accomplished forty missions of the same rank, with twenty each month."

"It's weird that you can do that and I can't," Naomi said. "I have the Sharingan, I should be able to to remember that."

"You have the _potential _for the Sharingan. I _have _an eidetic memory," he told her primly. "You have not reached my level as of yet."

I giggled as the two continued to banter. The last two months had flown by more quickly than I thought, and the three of us had settled into an easy rhythm. Sensei had us doing slightly more D-ranks than our comrades due to his position in T&I. When he did have the time to be there with us directly, he trained us into the ground as a team. My technically correct taijutsu really hadn't cut it with him, nor had Muta's passable stamina, or Naomi's okay strength. On days when we had missions, he tended towards briefing us, the mission taking three to eight hours, and when he retrieved us debriefed us, and gave us homework for the next day.

It was a rather fun, when all was said and done.

"Inoue-chan!" I head from an unfamiliar voice behind us. Muta and I turned around, and I stepped slightly in front of them. I got to see Itachi swat the girl over the head. She pouted, and scowled at him. "What was that for, Itachi-hime?"

"Don't be so familiar with people you don't know," he said tightly. I could see Ko in the background smiling. I assumed that this was normal for those two.

"How are you guys?" Naomi asked.

"Good," Ko replied. "We just finished team training. Where are you all headed?"

"Gonna go get something to eat," I said. "Would you like to join us?"

They nodded their acquiescence. We headed to Itachi and I's favorite barbeque place, owned by uncle Chouza, chatting softly about our time since graduation. I'd barely seen Itachi, and didn't really know Okyo or Ko. It was fun and probably the most social interaction that any of us had experienced in a while. After an hour or so, we all split up, and Itachi ended up walking with me home, since Muta still wanted Naomi to get her ankle checked out at a clinic.

"What's up?" I asked him, bumping shoulders with him. He was quieter than usual.

"It's my father," he said, after a while. "He's been acting strange."

"How so?"

He huffed in frustration. "I'm not sure. I can't put my finger on it, but he's different. I can't tell if it's a good thing or not either. He's been meeting with the Elder's more often."

I winced. "I'm glad we don't have clan elders."

"Tell me about it." He sighed. "Plus, Haha-ue has been making noises about betrothals as well."

"Already?" I asked. "My parents said that they'd not talk about it with me until I reached chuunin."

"She's been trying to bring it up with Otou-san. She hasn't said anything to me yet," he admitted. "However, it still worries me. I don't want to marry some girl from the clan."

I wrinkled my nose. "That would be weird. If you had to pick, who would you chose?"

"You or Hana," he said after a moment. "I know you two pretty well, and we all get along. Okyo as well, she's pretty good at numbers, and she's taken care of her house for two years, and she can be funny when she not annoying. What about you?"

"I dunno. Maybe Hana, or Naomi. You'd be cool too."

"Those are girls Inoue," he said, looking at me in confusion.

"Yeah. I know," I said. "I like girls the way I like boys, and you have to like someone to marry them, right? Does have to be a girl if you're a boy, or a boy if you're a girl?"

He paused. "I don't know. If we're including guys, then my cousin Shisui is really nice. Also, Iwashi-senpai is really nice. But you or Hana would still be my first pick."

I shoved him lightly. "That's only cause you know that both of us can cook, and you're horrible at it."

He laughed gently, and looked up. We had stopped in front of my house. The whine of crickets stretched around us and I could only watch at Itachi leaned forward to brush soft lips against my cheek. He leaned back and smiled shyly at me.

"Itachi..." I whispered, eyes wide.

"I don't know," he said. "I just felt like it. I gave Hana one when I ran into her last week."

"Oh," I said. I didn't know what to think. "See you later?"

"Yeah," he said. "See you later."

* * *

><p><strong>Author's Note<strong>: Y'all, this chapter did not want get written. I'm super unsatisfied with it. I know that I've moved the plot forward, I've done things that I wanted to get done, but it just didn't come out how I wanted it to, plus I didn't manage to finish it until today. Additionally, it's holiday season here in retail, so that took up a ton of time. Fuck it, I got you all a full fledged chapter on time, I count that as a win.

So I was going have this move at a set pace as Arc One did, but fuck that. Events in the chapters will take place as necessary to move the plot. If that means Moving forward two months, then two weeks, then two days, then three months, then so be it. When this arc is over, I'll take a brief break to go through and edit and try to fix the pacing. Hopefully.

Anyway, next up date is scheduled for 12/12/2014. See ya then folks!


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